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28 Days Lateris easily one of the most influential horror films of the 21st century and a beloved classic. Yet, many people who want to watch the movie will find themselves disappointed. Despite being directed by Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle and featuring the most recent Best Actor winner, Cillian Murphy,28 Days Lateris not available to stream on any digital platform and is also unavailable for purchase on home video. However, one can still easily view the 2007 sequel28 Weeks Later. How does one of the mostwell-regarded zombie films, one that changed the genre, become unavailable?
It appears that28 Days Laterrights were caught in limbo between original studio distributor 20th Century Pictures, their new owners, Disney, and the original film producers, who seemingly took the franchise to a competing studio. With the third entry in the franchise,28 Years Later,finally gearing up for release, this might hint that28 Days Laterwill be available again in the near future. But for now, why is28 Days Laterso difficult to get ahold of?
Update July 24, 2025: This article has been updated following the debut of the trailer for28 Years Laterand some speculation on if/when28 Days Latercould become available to stream and purchase.
‘28 Days Later’ Has Been Unavailable for Years
28 Days Later
In 2022, many fans noted that28 Days Laterwas not available to stream. This was particularly odd as28 Days Laterwas released by Searchlight Pictures, which has since become part of the Walt Disney Corporation following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox back in 2019.28 Days Laterwas available on Hulu briefly, but it has since been removed from the service. Since28 Days Laterwas released by Searchlight Pictures, Disney should theoretically own the rights to it and its 2007 sequel,28 Weeks Later, which was released through a defunct Fox label, Fox Atomic.
Now, plenty of filmsaren’t available on a streaming service. Still, when that is the case, they are often available for digital purchase on paid video-on-demand services like Fandango, Amazon Prime, or AppleTV. Yet28 Days Laterwas not even available for sale. Even fans who might want to try and acquire a physical copy of the movie will find themselves out of luck as both the Blu-ray and DVD of28 Days Laterare out of print.Being unavailable to watch on streaming, PVOD, or even physical media is a rarity nowadays, particularly for one of the most beloved horror films ever.
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It was even more glaring considering 2022 was the film’s20th-anniversary release in the UK, and 2023 would have been the 20th anniversary of its United States release. Despite that, no special addition 4K Blu-ray and home video release was announced, nor were there even special theatrical screenings.It appears that28 Days Later’s absence on digital and physical media was due to rights issues and the plans for the franchise’s future.
Fox Lost the Rights to ‘28 Days Later’… But Not ‘28 Weeks Later’
It appears that part of the reason28 Days Lateris not streaming is that Disney lost its rights.28 Days Laterwas financed independently and then acquired by Searchlight Pictures, so they seemingly did not control the ownership of the movie. In 2024, the film’s producer, Andrew Macdonald, reacquired the rights to28 Days Later. He has since sold them to Sony Pictures in exchange for Sony producing the next film in the franchise,28 Years Later. This meant that for about two years,28 Days Laterhad no home for streaming or even a distributor for new home video releases.
While Macdonald acquired the rights to28 Days Later, Disney still owns the rights to28 Weeks Latersince 20th Century Fox funded and released it. In the United States, it was distributed through the Fox Atomic label, a short-lived brand that 20th Century Fox set up to release genre and comedy films. The28 Days Laterbrand seemed a better fit for that than the more awards-friendly Searchlight Pictures. Because Disney still maintains the rights to28 Weeks Later, it is unclear how much of that film will be referenced in the upcoming28 Years Later.
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28 Years Laterwill see28 Days Laterdirector Danny Boyle and star Cillian Murphy return. The cast also includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Erin Kellyman, Jack O’Connell, and Edvin Ryding.28 Years Lateris set for release on June 17, 2025.Sony Pictures plans for28 Years Laterto kick off a new trilogy for them, and a sequel is already finished. The second film, which while not officially announced according to a United States Copyright Office document, will betitled28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Templeand will be directed by Nia DaCosta, who previously helmed 2021’sCandymanand 2023’sThe Marvels. No release date is set, but the film reportedly just finished filming, so it likely could arrive in theaters in 2026. No date or director has been attached to the third film, but this seemingly bodes well for28 Days Laterfans.
‘28 Days Later’ Might Be Available Next Year in Time for ‘28 Years Later’
With28 Years Laterset for release in June 2025, that likely suggests Sony Pictures has big plans for the original film to get audiences excited and prepared for the long-awaited third entry. Sony Pictures is heavily invested in physical media, as Sony is, first and foremost, a technology company that also owns a film studio.This suggests they will likely release28 Days Lateron home video and make it available for purchase on video rental sites.
In 2023, author Chris Bumbray noted on the siteJoBlo Moviesthat28 Days Later, getting a 4K release does pose some issues. While it might be possible that the film could undergo a 4K conversion with how much digital technology has increased, the fact is that28 Days Later’s grimy aesthetic was baked into it from its conception. Bumbray notes that:
“The simple fact is, by virtue of being shot digitally, with 2003-era cameras, the movie’s maximum resolution is 1080p.28 Days Lateris in a similar boat. It was one of the first films to be shot digitally. Indeed, the camera it was shot on, the Cannon XL-1, has a standard definition resolution of 720×576. That’s why the movie looks pretty much the same on DVD as on Blu-ray, as you’re just watching an upconversion.”
Meanwhile, as for where28 Days Laterwill land on streaming, that is a different story. Unlike many other studios, Sony Pictures does not own a direct streaming service. If Universal Pictures releases a movie or owns the rights to a title, there is a good chance it will end up on Peacock while still being licensed to another streaming service. Disney tends to keep all its titles on its services, such as Disney+ or Hulu. Sony Pictures, meanwhile, tends to sell its streaming rights. Netflix is the most likely candidate as starting in 2021, the streaming service struck afirst-look deal with Sony Pictures. This likely means that not only will28 Years Laterstream on Netflix, but the original film28 Days Laterwill as well.
Regardless of whether a 4K Blu-ray is released or what streaming service28 Days Laterlands on, fans would be more than happy to have the option of owning or watching28 Days Laterin any format, and any home video release is better than none. After nearly three years of28 Days Laterbeing nearly impossible to watch unless one already owned a physical copy, it might finally be coming home.
‘28 Years Later’ Could Signal the Arrival of ‘28 Days Later’
On June 10, 2025, Sony Pictures released the trailer for Danny Boyle’s28 Years Later, the long-awaited third film in the franchise. The teaser trailer generated an enthusiastic response from critics and fans, capturing the terror of the original movie. While the trailer raises many questions, like ifCillian Murphy’s character has turned into a zombieor is just very sick, it also leads many to wonder if and when they will be able to watch28 Days Later.
28 Years Latertrailer emphasizes the previous film’s titles, noting"Days Became Weeks. Weeks Became Years", direct references to28 Days Laterand28 Weeks Later. Since28 Years Lateris the start of a new trilogy, the movie will likely be very accessible to new viewers who might not have seen the prior two films, with any information the audience needed to know likely explained in the movie. However, with the direct references to the previous film,Sony Pictures will likely want to make28 Days Lateravailable for fans to watch before the new movie comes out.
The excitement and hype for the upcoming third movie will likely make a physical media release and a streaming debut a highly anticipated and profitable endeavor for the company. Expect to see some announcements about28 Days Laterin 2025 before28 Years Lateropens in theaters.
